Rubina Jibran

Citation

Thesis Title
Identification of genetic regulators of longevity in dark-held detached Arabidopsis inflorescences

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Postharvest deterioration of fruits and vegetables occurs rapidly due to a variety of biological, environmental and physiological stresses. While some progress has been made in understanding how this deterioration occurs, identifying key genetic regulators of the programme has proved far more difficult. To identify such regulators, Rubina Jibran used an untargeted forward genetics approach on a chemically mutagenised population of Arabidopsis plants.  Her screen involved placing the detached immature green inflorescences from the mutant plants in water in the dark at 21°C and identifying those inflorescences that were more green or less green than wild-type at day 5 of dark incubation. Eighteen accelerated and twenty delayed degreening mutants were identified and she identified the genetic lesion behind one of these. Translation of her findings into commercially relevant may in the future help reduce postharvest food losses which will be increasingly important as the human population increases and resources become limiting.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Paul Dijkwel
Dr Donald Hunter